Antimicrobial/antibacterial compositions include materials which have the ability to disinfect. It is generally recognised that a disinfecting material greatly reduces or even eliminates the microorganisms, e.g., bacteria, existing on a surface. For example compositions based on halogen containing compounds like hypochlorite, or on quaternary compounds, have been extensively described in the art for disinfecting purpose. Compositions comprising a peracid are also known as disinfecting compositions.
However, a drawback associated to such disinfecting compositions based on peracids is that they may damage surfaces onto which they are contacted to perform their disinfecting action. Indeed such disinfecting compositions based on peracids are perceived by the consumers as being not safe to various surfaces including hard-surfaces and fabrics, especially delicate fabrics like silk, wool and the like.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide disinfecting compositions that deliver improved safety to the surfaces treated therewith while not compromising on the disinfection performance delivered onto said surfaces even when used upon high diluted conditions.
It has now been found that the above object can be achieved by providing a composition comprising from 0.1% to 15% by weight of the total composition of hydrogen peroxide and an antimicrobial essential oil, or mixtures thereof. More particularly, it has been found that the compositions of the present invention comprising hydrogen peroxide and said antimicrobial essential oil, deliver improved safety to the surface treated therewith, while providing also excellent disinfection on clean surfaces, i.e. surfaces being free of any organic and/or inorganic soils, even at high dilution levels, i.e. up to dilution levels of from 1:100 (composition:water).
Accordingly, the compositions according to the present invention are suitable for disinfecting all types of surfaces including animate surfaces (e.g., human skin and/or mouth when used as an oral preparation or toothpaste) and inanimate surfaces. Indeed, this technology is particularly suitable in hard-surfaces applications as well as in laundry applications, e.g., as a laundry detergent or laundry additive in a so called "soaking mode", "through the wash mode", or even as a laundry pretreater in a "pretreatment mode". More particularly, the compositions according to the present invention are suitable to be used on delicate surfaces including those surfaces in contact with food and/or babies in a safe manner. Indeed, when using the compositions according to the present invention in diluted conditions, the amount of chemical residues left onto a surface disinfected therewith is reduced. Thus, it may be not necessary to rinse for example a hard-surface after the compositions of the present invention have been applied thereto in diluted conditions.
An advantage of the present invention is that excellent disinfection is provided on a broad range of bacterial pure strains including Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial strains and more resistant micro-organisms like fungi.
Another advantage of the compositions of the present invention is that beside the disinfection properties delivered, good cleaning is also provided, especially in the embodiment of the present invention where the compositions herein further comprise a surfactant and/or a solvent.
Yet another advantage of the compositions of the present invention is that they may be provided in different forms, e.g., in a liquid form packaged in a conventional detergent bottle, or in a sprayable or foamable form packaged in a spray/foam dispenser, or in the form of wipes incorporating such a composition, or in a non-liquid form (e.g. gel, pasty form or solid form).
Representative of the prior art is for example WO88/00795 which discloses liquid disinfecting compositions comprising a compound selected from the group of organic acids, perborates, peracids and their salts, together with a quaternary ammonium salt and an essential oil. No hydrogen peroxide is disclosed in the disinfecting compositions therein, let alone levels thereof.
EP-B-288 689 discloses a liquid for hard-surfaces comprising antimicrobial effective amounts of pine oil and at least one oil soluble organic acid. No hydrogen peroxide is disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,587 discloses aqueous antimicrobial compositions which can be used to sanitise, disinfect, and clean hard-surfaces. More particularly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,587 discloses aqueous compositions (pH 1 to 12) comprising essential oils (0.02% to 5%), which exhibit antimicrobial properties efficacy such as thyme oil, eucalyptus oil, clove oil and the like, and a solubilizing or dispersing agent sufficient to form an aqueous solution or dispersion of said essential oils in a water carrier. No hydrogen peroxide is disclosed.